Celebrity status for Agassiz Speedway drivers

Week three of the Agassiz Raceway season is May 24, with action starting at 7 p.m.

Local racer Rob Adams checks in with thoughts on a dedicated fan base and a night of errors.

Often I am humbled at the dedication fans show us at our racing events. They remind us drivers of why we are truly there.

Coming from Vancouver or other far away places, they brave the cool evenings, bringing cushions and blankets to stay comfortable in the early part of the season.

They stay through the time needed to clear wreckage, and at the end of the night they come down into the pits to say hi to their favorite driver and crew.

I have known a few of them over the years and look for regulars and newcomers alike virtually every time I race.

It makes your day special when someone goes out of their way to come down to the pits to say, “We had an awesome time watching the races.”

Even better is the ‘celebrity’ feeling you get when a family brings their children down to get their checkered flags signed.

I want to truly thank all of those who take the ‘different road’ for their entertainment — rather than a movie or dinner out they pile in the car and come out here. For those of you coming out next Saturday night, bring those cushions and blankets if it’s cool.

And ear protection for the little ones.

Opening day (April 26) was nerve racking as always, demonstrated by rookie mistakes from some very seasoned drivers in all classes.

But we managed to pull off a complete day of racing with only one serious incident.

Truly unfortunate, as we may have misjudged the suitability of combining a very young and inexperienced driver with one of the fastest cars in the class.

A wall hit resulted.

The car was a total write off, and if the wall hit wasn’t enough, the fire department cut the entire roof and pillars off the car to extricate the driver. It was the best way to ensure the safety of the driver, who was taken to the hospital for observation and released with only bruising.

As for me, using the black and copper No. 61, I avoided all contact in the Hornet race and won my heat. I settled for fourth place in the main race, which had 15 cars at the start line.

On the downside, I also raced in the Hit to Pass that evening, (with my yellow No. 61) and forgot (rookie mistake) to secure a transponder to my car.

That’s the electronic device that counts your laps as you go around. Without it, your car is not counted. So here I was, holding on to second in the heat, and second in the main, only to be disqualified, as they showed no laps for me.